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Yinka Ilori's East London pop-up store celebrates West African culture

Yinka Ilori’s pop-up store in Shoreditch. Photography by Ed Reeve

UK – Homeware designer Yinka Ilori has unveiled his first retail space, a dopamine-boosting and colourful pop-up shop inspired by the designer’s West African heritage.

Located in Shoreditch, east London, the pop-up is open until 3 January 2023 and carries a selection of homeware, stationery and games that double as collectible objects. Both the store’s design and merchandise are intended to inspire joy and a sense of togetherness, with the use of bold colours and patterns, but also interactive elements inviting visitors to engage and connect.

‘I wanted to design a fun, engaging space that tells a story. I want to start a conversation about the future of our stores, how we curate these spaces and what experiences we can create to forge deeper, more meaningful connections,’ says Ilori.

The designer created another community-centred space in 2021 with the Lego Launderette of Dreams. With this project, Ilori is further embracing hyperphysical store design with a nod to his roots and at the same time educating Londoners about West African culture.

Strategic opportunity

Multi-purpose retail spaces that double as places of play, connection or education can inspire customers to engage on a deeper level with your brand universe

Women’s health worsened in 2021

Global – Women from across the world have experienced worsening health conditions, according to medical tech company Hologic’s 2021 Global Women’s Health Index. Taiwan leads the index with the highest global health score.

Hologic’s survey is a comprehensive one, beginning in 2020 and backed by Gallup. After receiving nearly 127,000 responses to 15 questions from respondents in 122 countries or territories, the overall Global Women’s Health Index score was measured at 53 out of 100, one point lower than the previous year.

Taiwan led with the highest overall index score at 70 points. This was followed by Latvia, Austria, Denmark and Estonia. Taiwan and Kazakhstan scored highest on emotional health, while Singapore led in multiple aspects, including in opinions of health and safety.

Unsurprisingly, Afghanistan had the lowest overall score, at 22 out of 100, no doubt due to Taliban rule. India showed the biggest drop compared to 2020, with a significant reduction in emotional health as well as health and safety, basic needs and individual health.

‘We also see with greater clarity that healthcare disparities impact women in every country. The growing divides between women in high-income and low-income economies, and in urban and rural communities, are preventing all women from achieving better health,’ says Stephen MacMillan, chairman, president and CEO of Hologic.

Photography by Cottonbro, Russia

Strategic opportunity

The lack of knowledge about women’s health, restricted access to healthcare and growing disparities between care for women in developed and developing countries only serves to highlight the egalitarian innovation opportunities in this market

Stat: Majority of Britons admit to discarding clothes regularly

Rotaro in partnership with Airbnb, London

UK – A new survey by British Wool reveals that fast fashion remains prevalent in the UK, as nearly two-thirds of Britons admit to throwing away clothes that could be recycled or donated to charity instead of ending up in landfill.

Britons are buying more new items of clothing each year than people in other European countries. The data suggests a very high turnover in wardrobes, with people throwing away six garments a month on average.

In addition, the research noted a limited knowledge and understanding of the properties and environmental impact of different textiles. A staggering 85% of Britons are unaware of what garments are made with, even as 31% want to make eco-friendlier fashion purchases.

This study comes as fast fashion giant Shein has been named in a survey by money.co.uk as the most popular fashion brand of 2022, despite increasing criticism for alleged unsustainable and unethical practices and underpinning the current cognitive dissonance between a will to commit to greener consumption habits and the reality of consumer behaviour.

Strategic opportunity

Brands can help consumers align their beliefs with their behaviour by bridging the education gap and making sustainable options easy to identify and access